Unmask the Collegiate Terrorists

There are so many strings tied to federal education funds that the president has the power to force colleges to protect student rights by banning the masks that enable violent antisemitic protests.

Two months ago I wrote here about the need for states to ban wearing masks in public. I stand by that, of course, but there are also federal tools that can be used. You’ve no doubt heard of the $400+ million in federal grants to Columbia University that are now in jeopardy. That illustrates the point that if you take federal funds, you take the federal strings that come along with them (which range from accounting standards to civil rights laws). The same can be done regarding masked protests that break rules, intimidate students, and disrupt educational programs. —IS

President Trump is right: “NO MASKS!”

That was his final jab in a Truth Social post this month in which he threatened to end federal funding for any college or university that allows “illegal protests” — particularly the ugly antisemitic demonstrations that have dogged many campuses for nearly 18 months.

Columbia University alumni last week pressed the school to enact an official mask ban after the latest round of chaotic pro-Hamas protests.

But Trump himself has the power to end masked riots on campus via executive order, just as many states cracked down on the masked marches of the Ku Klux Klan in the past.

The president’s ability to force change is clear. Existing federal authorities and grant programs give his administration broad discretion to require colleges and universities to take actions that are in students’ interests, especially when their physical safety and civil rights are involved.

The case against masks is also clear — and constitutional.